The Wisconsin Badgers may have a curse on their starting quarterback, as the third year in a row we've seen the backup have to come in and take over. This time, it was Billy Edwards Jr. who went down to the turf with a non-contact injury. The fans were immediately fearing the worst. However, Luke Fickell, after the game, may bring the temperature down a bit.
Immediately after the game, he said, "No update as of now, but he's out here with us and that's a good sign." It was truly a good sign to see him dancing around with his teammates in sweats. He seemed to have a slight limp, but he didn't look noticeably injured.
The signs were starting to point to him being pulled in a precautionary way. He wasn't sitting at all; he was jumping into huddles, talking up his teammates, and staying engaged. In the post-game press conference, when Luke Fickell took the microphone, he repeated the same thing he told the Big Ten Network.
Luke Fickell on Billy Edwards Jr.: "Don’t know a whole lot. Good to see, though, that he was back out there able to be a part of the game and be with our team. Hopefully that’s a really good sign for things moving forward."
— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) August 29, 2025
Luke Fickell's update on Billy Edwards Jr. is very optimistic
Related: Billy Edwards Injury Update: Wisconsin fans holding breath after QB leaves game early
Fickell continues to reference the fact that the training staff allowed Edwards to come back to the field in sweats and be with his team as a good sign. It is a good sign in many ways because a torn Achilles would have required him to wear a boot. A torn meniscus probably would have forced him to sit or at least rest.
However, it's hard to know for sure why they held him out and why it went from a questionable return to being immediately out. There's undoubtedly some concern, but the fact that he came back out in sweats without crutches or a boot is a really positive sign.
Not just for the fans but for Fickell too.